1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to metronomes, and more specifically to a programmable metronome which is useful for conducting beginning music students and further useful as a practice device and/or a teaching aid for reminding beginning music students of the correct beat, tempo and measure to play in a song selection from a sheet of music.
2. Description of Related Art
A major problem associated with coordinating musicians is having the participants play a piece of music together on the same beat and measure, particularly musicians that have not acquired the ability to read music. It is not uncommon for beginning music students to lose their timing for the playing of notes and also their places on the music sheet. Measures are frequently ‘counted out’ by the instructor/conductor during practice in order for the student/musician to ascertain the place on the sheet of music where the instructor/conductor desires for playing to begin. However, this practice is generally considered as unacceptable when it takes place during a performance.
The use of electronic audio and video displays to assist in conducting live musicians is well known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,082 issued Jan. 4, 1994 to Kestner-Clifton et al. shows an electronic visual music conducting device adapted to receive electronic timing signals representative of the tempo of a piece of music and to use the timing signals to control a visual display indicates tempo and rhythm by simulating the movement of a conductor's baton. The device can include a bar display to indicate numerically which bar is currently being played and a beat display to indicate numerically the number of beats per minute associated with the bar currently being played.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,228 issued May 25, 1993 to Hoiles et al. teaches an electronic metronome having a selector switch, three visual indicators, and a programmable counter coupled to the selector switch and the visual indicators for providing various sequential time signature displays. A speaker is used for providing an audible beat pattern for the student/musician. The metronome of Hoiles et al. provides (1) a digital readout on a three digit, seven-segment light emitting diode display of the number of beats per minute, (2) an audible tick-tock rhythm, and (3) various visual patterns on an array of three distinctly colored light emitting diodes corresponding to available beats per measure time signatures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,089 issued Sep. 5, 1995 to Marrash discloses an electronically programmable metronome having a foot switch for adjusting the tempo over a continuous range without taking hands off an instrument or interrupting playing. A micro-controller is pre-programmed with a metronome click pattern in any selected note duration value. The clicks are produced with different amplitudes and tones so as to produce distinct loud medium and soft-clicks. Headphones, an audio speaker and/or a light emitting diode indicator provide audible and visual cues of the tempo to aid the user.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,048, issued Dec. 15, 1998 to Ruf, a digital read-out electronic metronome is taught which displays the correct beat per measure. The Ruf device includes a keyboard for entry of a musical signature including the number of beats per measure. A liquid crystal display visually informs a user of the correct beat of a measure. The display may be in the form of a graphical representation of a measure with visual indicia highlighting the current beat. Ruf's device is pocket-sized and battery operated.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.